Magnetically retained removable closet seat and cover



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. R- TUREK ETAL MAGNETICALLY RETAINED REMOVABLE CLOSET SEAT AND COVER 3 ,0 2 7 W 0 5 H /w J C E i fix 07 Z 2 m W fl mm w I 70 4 9 k %f a. 5 a M% 1 m x m M \m m, i q: S 3 H J i y W/afi 3 Y Y w MW, z W z W W WAN/V June 12, 1962 Filed April 15, 1959 June 12, 1962 J. R. TUREK ETAL 3,038,173

MAGNETICALLY RETAINED REMOVABLE CLOSET SEAT AND COVER Filed April 15, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll I Z J7zz/e2z r6, I u M6518 7522 6/6 llnited States Patent Ufiice 3,fi38,l73 Patented June 12, 1962 3,038,173 MAGNETICALLY RETAINED REMOVABLE CLOSET SEAT AND CGVER James R. Turek and Robert P. Kolena, Chicago, Ill., as-

signors to Crane Co., Chicago, EL, a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 15, 1959, Ser. No. 806,640 Claims. (Cl. 4-236) This invention relates generally to a combined removably seat and cover mounting for -a plumbing closet bowl, and more particularly it is concerned with such mounting in which what is termed a magnetic hold down feature is provided therefor.

At the outset, it should be understood that the background of this invention is one concerned primarily with encouraging and preserving clean and sanitary conditions respectively around the closet 'bowl, the seat cover and the seat hinge mounting therefor. With the conventional bolted and hinged construction heretofore employed, the maintenance of a sanitary condition relative to the seat, the cover and the bowl espescially in proximity to the seat hinges and posts has always been a difficult one to accomplish.

'In addition, it will be appreciated that the usual bolted assembly heretofore used has made it relatively diflicult to remove the seat and cover from the closet bowl and such objection has thereby discouraged the necessarily frequent cleaning of the seat components and of the closet bowl surfaces adjacent thereto.

It is therefore one of the more important objects of this invention to provide for :a closet seat and cover mounting permitting easier cleansibility, but also one in which a permanent magnet and keeper are used to hold the closet seat and cover component parts to the closet bowl.

Another important object is to provide for a construction in which -a permanent magnet can be used without requiring any changes in the type of bowl punching used in effecting the mounting.

A further object is to provide for a seat mounting construction in which by use of a magnet and keeper, the seat and cover may be easily removed from the closet bowl for cleansing purposes, while exposing substantially all of the bowl surfaces, the closet seat and the cover, conveniently for expediting quick and efiective cleaning operations.

Another object is to provide for a combined seat and cover construction in which the form, the size and the arrangement of the magnets and keepers used may be readily varied or arranged to suit the requirements of the particular installation.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent upon proceeding with the specification read in light of the accompany drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a transverse sectional assembly view longitudinally along the hinge mounting substantially at right angles to that of FIG. 1; and FIGS. 3, 4, S, and 6 are fragmentary sectional views of modified embodiments of the said invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. 4

Referring now to FIG. 1, a conventional closet bowl fragmentarily is shown and is generally designated C, having the usual seat opening 1, the surrounding seat A and the superposed cover therefor designated B. As will hereinafter become more readily apparent, the integral flange 2 of the closet bowl C, extending around the rear and the side portion thereof, serves as a support and mounting for the upright post assembly generally designated 3, and while only one post assembly is illustrated, it will of course be appreciated that in order to serve as an adequate support for the removable hinge mounting a pair of posts are used, one being disposed on each side side at the rear portion of the bowl flange 2. The post assembly 3 consists in this particular embodiment of a stainless steel upper extension block 4, recessed at a side portion 5 thereof to snugly receive the seat and cover hinge rod 6. The said hinge rod 6 is received within the side disposed recess 7 of the seat A at one end thereof and at an intermediate portion is received within aperture 8 of the web depending portion 10 of the seat B.

Thus, the post 4, as more clearly indicated in FIG. 1, preferably assumes the configuration indicated to serve as the hinge member end support for the rod 6. Within its recessed underportion 9, the said post 4 receives the permanent magnet 11 which is of Washer-like configuration and is held in place on the bowl flange 2 by the stainless steel stud 13 having its head received within the post recess 12. The stud is provided with a threaded shank 14 received relatively loosely Within the enlarged aperture 15 of the closet bowl C. In the usual manner, the magnet 11 is mounted upon the rubber washer 16 and at its lower portion is held under tension by means of the threaded nut 17 to bear against a lower rubber washer 18 on the underside of the flange 2 with a com pression washer 19 being interposed between the nut 17 and the washer 18. In the manner thus described, it will be clear that the magnet 11 is firmly held in place on the upper surface of the bowl. The post 4 acts as the keeper for the magnet 11. By reason of the hinged connection 6 of the said post at 8 and 7 respectively with the closet bowl cover B and the seat A the permanent magnet thus serves to hold the seat and cover members to the closet bowl C. Therefore, when it becomes necessary to remove the assembly consisting of the cover B, the closet seat A as well as the posts 4 and the hinge rods 6, all that is required is to lift the post 4 with the hereina-bove described assembly against the pull of the magnet and completely clear of the bowl. It will now become apparent that with the removal of the seat, the cover and the hinge mounting 4-, cleansing of the upper surface of the closet bowl is easy to accomplish, the only projecting portion on the upper surface of the closet being the head portion 13, the magnet 11 and the compressed gasket 16. Then, it becomes a relatively simple matter to clean and maintain a sanitary condition on and around the magnet 11 which may be of other conveniently cleansible forms. It should be understood that the important function of the magnet lies in its keeping the posts 4 and the connected seat and seat cover firmly in place on the closet bowl upper surface in its usual positioning safeguarded against endwise movement as well as against transverse movement, the latter object being attained by virtue of the positive engagement of the magnet 11 with the recessed underportion 9 of the post 4. Yet when the normal pull of the permanent magnet 11 is overcome by predeterminately lifting the said assembly bodily all of the desired closet bowl, the seat, the cover and the hinge surfaces are accessible for cleaning.

A relatively economical and simple assembly is also afforded, permitting a magnetic pull to be exercised, say of the order of 30 to 35 pounds and without a complicated and expensive mechanism being necessary.

It should be understood that the actual form of the permanent magnet may be embodied and applied in a number of different sizes and FIGS. 3 to 6 show only a few of such mountings for illustrative purposes only.

Referring now to FIG. 3, the usual mounting takes place as described in connection with the previous figures on the upper rear surface portion of the closet flange 2, but in this connection the posts 21 may be made in plastics composition instead of metal. In this modification, the magnet 22 is either cemented or molded to the post 21 and applied against the recess surfaces 23 and 24. The stainless steel stud 25 having a head 26 is secured to the bowl in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2 by means of the retaining nut 17, the washer 19, the cushioning washer 18, as well as by the upper rubber washer 16. In its operation, the permanent magnet functions here in the same manner as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, and therefore it is not deemed necessary to elaborate at any length upon such method of operation. It will be understood that since the permanent magnet 22 is molded within the recess defined by the annular surface 24 or cemented to the post extension 21, when the seat, the cover and post 21 are lifted bodily or together from the bowl, the post will carry the magnet 22 with it, the location breaking away being at the surface 26 of the stud exposed head, the washers 16, and the stud head being the only projecting portions on the upper surface of the bowl. This construction obviously contributes to a permanent magnet and keeper arrangement whereby it is not difficult to clean and thereby maintain a sanitary condition adjacent the post hinge mounting as well as cleaning the undersurfaces of the seat and cover.

Referring now to the further modified form shown in FIG. 4, in this construction, the post extension 27 is recessed as at 28 to receive the permanent magnet 29, while the keeper therefor or insert piece 31 is firmly molded or cemented within the recess defined by the surface 32 of the closet flange 2. It should of course be apparent that the relative superposed positions of the magnet 29 and the keeper 31 may be reversed insofar as their functioning is concerned so that the magnet will then occupy the position taken by the member 31 and would then be molded imbedded within the recess defined at 32 or otherwise cemented within the closet flange 2. In the illustrated arrangement, the line of cleavage between the magnet 29 and the keeper 31 when the seat, cover and hinge are being bodily removed will be at the surface 33. Preferably in order to facilitate positioning the post assembly over the keeper 31 it has been desirable to provide a slight annular clearance between it and the lowermost inner annular surface 30 of the post 27. The mode of operation is similar to that described in connection with the previous figures.

FIG. shows a further modified construction in which instead of being circular or square when viewed in plan, the permanent magnet 34 and the keeper 35 imbedded in the closet at 2% may be made elongated or in oblong form without changing the manner in which the said permanent magnet operates with respect to the keeper. Also, it has been found that the positions of the said magnet and keeper relative to the hinge rod 6 may be changed from that illustrated in the previous figures without changing the manner of operation. In this modification, it will be noted that because of the elongated types of magnet and keeper employed, support member 43 may have its oppositely disposed outer side portions transversely bored as at 36 to receive the hinge rod 6. In this construction, the seat A is provided with a hinge portion 37 bored as at 38. to permit the hinge pin 6 to project therethrough. The hinge pin 6 at its outer portion isprovided with a head 39 shouldering against an outer surface of the annular flange portion 41 of the modified seat cover B as illustrated. In the instant construction, when removing the seat and cover against the pull of the permanent magnet 34, it will be apparent that gripping and lifting the seat hinge support 37 and the underside of the depending peripheral portion 41 of the cover will allow for the separation to take place along the surface 42 between the magnet 34 and the keeper 35. Here as in FIGS. 3 and 4 it has also been found preferable to provide for a slight clearance between the annular recess defined at 40 to aid in the repositioning of the seat, cover and post assembly upon the fixedly positioned keeper 35. Increased lifting leverage is applied when drawing the seat and cover upwardly for removal from the bowl at the surface 42 and in this construction it will also be apparent that the keeper 35 is the only exposed part remaining on the bowl upper surface when the hinge, the cover B and the seat A are removed, the cleavage surface 42 then being the top surface. In this modification, the magnet 34 may be molded, cemented or otherwise fixedly attached within the elongated hinge support member 43. It will be appreciated that the member 43 functions as a post for the seat A and the cover B.

In FIG. 6, a further modified construction is shown in which it will be noted that the stud, generally designated 44, is blank or unthreaded. Its blank portion within the magnet 45 apertured at 49 is mounted on the underside of the closet bowl flange 2. In this construction, the stud 44, by means of its head 46, is molded, cemented or otherwise fixedly attached at surface 47 within the post 48 and extends within the aperture 15 of the closet bowl C in the manner illustrated. In this modification, it will be apparent that when the assembly of the cover, the seat and the hinge rod are lifted and removed from the closet, the stud '44 will be lifted out with the said assembly from the closet aperture 15 to clear the upper surface of the flange 2. This movement of the stud upwardly permits the magnet 45 apertured as at 49 to be slidably removed from the stud and set aside until its use for effecting the magnetic attachment of the stud 44 to the bowl again becomes necessary. Thus in this modification, the line of cleavage will be defined by the upper limit of the magnet inner peripheral surface 49. In all other respects, the construction follows the general arrangement referredto in FIGS. 1 and 2, and it is therefore deemed unnecessary to go into further details of explanation of the matter of functioning. Obviously, the specific form of the post 48, the stud head 46, as well as the stud 44 itself and including the magnet 45, either singly or together, may take configurations other than those illustrated without departing from the mode of operation broadly set forth. It will be appreciated therefore that while several embodiments have been illustrated and described, this has been done only for purpose of illustration and not of limitation. The scope of the invention should therefore be interpreted in light of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A seat mounting for a closet bowl or the like with magnetic hold down means comprising a seat, a post mounted on the seat to permit predetermined movement relative to the seat, the said post having a recessed undersurface portion, and a permanent magnet fixed to the bowl cooperating with the said post to engage said recessed undersurface portion thereof and cooperating with said seat through said post mounting on the seat whereby to retain the post and seat to the bowl magnetically upon predetermined positioning of the seat on the bowl and engagement of the permanent magnet with the undersurface portion of the said post.

2. A removable seat mounting for a closet bowl or the like with magnetic hold down means comprising a post removably mounted on the bowl connected with said seat and having a relieved undersurface portion, fixed means on the bowl cooperating with the seat mounting for engagement with said said post and a permanent magnet cooperating with the fixed means and engaging the said undersurface portion to hold the removable post and the seat predeterminately on the bowl.

3. A mounting with magnetic hold down means for a removable seat connected predeterminately with a closet bowl or the like, the combination of a closet seat, a post hinged to the seat mounted on an upper rear surface portion of the bowl, a permanent magnet positioned adjacent the seat connection with the bowl normally engaging the said post on a surface opposite said bowl upper rear surface portion, the post cooperating with said magnet to hold the seat on the bowl, means for applying the magnet to the bowl and to the post, the said means cooperating with the bowl and to the post to hold the magnet and seat against transverse movement relative to the said surface portion of the bowl.

4. A removable seat mounting for a closet bowl or the like corn-prising a seat, a predeterminately removable recessed post mounted on the bowl, the seat having side disposed means for hingedly carrying the said post, and a permanent magnet cooperating with the bowl and post hinge means to retain the seat mounting magnetically on the bowl, the said magnet being supported on the bowl and having a portion thereof engageable with the post recessed portion to inhibit transverse movement or" the magnet and seat relative to the bowl.

5. A mounting for a removable seat and cover for a closet bowl or the like, the combination of a seat, a cover therefor, a post with a relieved portion mounted on an upper portion of the bowl and hingedly connected with a common shaft for the said seat and cover, a permanent magnet cooperating with the post to predeterminately engage the relieved portion of the latter member, means for fixedly connecting the magnet with the bowl, means cooperating with the bowl and through said post for effecting the connection of the magnet With the seat to magnetically hold the seat to the bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 407,477 Ezell July 23, 1889 1,839,452 Thompson Ian. 5, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,060 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1954 

